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Handbrake vs VLC
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Jim Lesurf
Jan 20, 2021, 10:48:22 AM1/20/21
to
I'm trying to convert the content of some ancient video DVDs into being mkv
files. Usually I employ Handbrake for this and it works nicely, but I've
found some discs that behave oddly, and this leads me to a puzzle...
If I try to copy the disks to .iso files this fails with an i/o error.
If I ask Handbrake to look at them it scans and counts the 'titles' but
stops and gets no further before completing this task. Have to open a
terminal and eject the disc to undo this.
However VLC plays the titles OK.
I am therefore using VLC's 'convert' option. But since I'm not familiar
with this it is a PITA for the following reasons.
1) Have to do each title, one at a time.
2) Find that when the interface lets me specify a title number to 'start'
it doesn't then stop the conversion at the end, but starts another
'conversion' which seems to go nowhere. Output file size ceases changing
and if I stop the 'conversion' the file has all the title's video and
audio. Impression is that VLC is reading the rest of the titles but
discarding the results.
As a result - unlike Handbrake - I can't give it a list of titles to chug
though (from a list of iso images). I have to start and stop each Title's
conversion 'by hand' with VLC because I have no idea how to automate it or
the command details. Nor can I optimise the quality of the results.
This raises questions like:
A) Can I get Handbrake *not* to scan for the titles, but just give it a
target title number to process? As I can, VLC.
B) What command would get either/both of VLC/Handbrake to do a specific
title? Can I save these from when things work to see the command details? I
seem to have to go through the same set of menus every time as things are,
and can't set anything like the level of detail. Just the container format
and file name.
FWIW I'm slightly used to using Handbrake command lines, but no idea about
VLC. Nor why Handbrake stiffs when reading the titles. Maybe because they
are more than 70 titles, many 'apparent repeats' of the same actual info on
the discs?
Jim
--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scots_Guide/intro/electron.htm
biog http://jcgl.orpheusweb.co.uk/history/ups_and_downs.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html
files. Usually I employ Handbrake for this and it works nicely, but I've
found some discs that behave oddly, and this leads me to a puzzle...
If I try to copy the disks to .iso files this fails with an i/o error.
If I ask Handbrake to look at them it scans and counts the 'titles' but
stops and gets no further before completing this task. Have to open a
terminal and eject the disc to undo this.
However VLC plays the titles OK.
I am therefore using VLC's 'convert' option. But since I'm not familiar
with this it is a PITA for the following reasons.
1) Have to do each title, one at a time.
2) Find that when the interface lets me specify a title number to 'start'
it doesn't then stop the conversion at the end, but starts another
'conversion' which seems to go nowhere. Output file size ceases changing
and if I stop the 'conversion' the file has all the title's video and
audio. Impression is that VLC is reading the rest of the titles but
discarding the results.
As a result - unlike Handbrake - I can't give it a list of titles to chug
though (from a list of iso images). I have to start and stop each Title's
conversion 'by hand' with VLC because I have no idea how to automate it or
the command details. Nor can I optimise the quality of the results.
This raises questions like:
A) Can I get Handbrake *not* to scan for the titles, but just give it a
target title number to process? As I can, VLC.
B) What command would get either/both of VLC/Handbrake to do a specific
title? Can I save these from when things work to see the command details? I
seem to have to go through the same set of menus every time as things are,
and can't set anything like the level of detail. Just the container format
and file name.
FWIW I'm slightly used to using Handbrake command lines, but no idea about
VLC. Nor why Handbrake stiffs when reading the titles. Maybe because they
are more than 70 titles, many 'apparent repeats' of the same actual info on
the discs?
Jim
--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scots_Guide/intro/electron.htm
biog http://jcgl.orpheusweb.co.uk/history/ups_and_downs.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html
Gordon
Jan 29, 2021, 2:48:47 AM1/29/21
to
On 2021-01-20, Jim Lesurf <no...@audiomisc.co.uk> wrote:
> I'm trying to convert the content of some ancient video DVDs into being mkv
> files. Usually I employ Handbrake for this and it works nicely, but I've
> found some discs that behave oddly, and this leads me to a puzzle...
>
> If I try to copy the disks to .iso files this fails with an i/o error.
Here is the hint. You are out of data. The DVD is dying/dead. As in all the
> I'm trying to convert the content of some ancient video DVDs into being mkv
> files. Usually I employ Handbrake for this and it works nicely, but I've
> found some discs that behave oddly, and this leads me to a puzzle...
>
> If I try to copy the disks to .iso files this fails with an i/o error.
track is not readable. If you have titles then it is possible just to read
the track and copy/process that track.
Sometimes just coping the file off the DVD has worked for me. Another reader
might get you across the line.
Are these DVDs burnt or pressed? Burnt ones die at random intervals.
Martin Gregorie
Jan 29, 2021, 7:49:30 AM1/29/21
to
On Fri, 29 Jan 2021 07:48:45 +0000, Gordon wrote:
> Sometimes just coping the file off the DVD has worked for me. Another
> reader might get you across the line.
>
> Are these DVDs burnt or pressed? Burnt ones die at random intervals.
>
All of these are recorded by using a laser to change a dye colour, so you
> Sometimes just coping the file off the DVD has worked for me. Another
> reader might get you across the line.
>
> Are these DVDs burnt or pressed? Burnt ones die at random intervals.
>
should copy any that you value to more permanent storage ASAP.
I transferred the ones I have to hard drives years ago. These drives are
regularly backed up and the backups are kept in a fire safe.
Vlc plays both the audio and video copies just fine.
--
--
Martin | martin at
Gregorie | gregorie dot org
Jim Lesurf
Jan 29, 2021, 8:17:53 AM1/29/21
to
In article <i7hsut...@mid.individual.net>, Gordon <Gor...@leaf.net.nz>
wrote:
behaviour.
Experiment shows the following behaviour:
1) If you look with VLC at the list of 'Titles' (tracks) on the disc you
see many multiple duplicates of them with different numbers and slightly
different lengths. Some of these play. Other show a blank.
2) If I choose the Titles/tracks that actually show the videos I can play
them with VLC and rip them OK. With one quirk. The rip proceeds, and gets
to the end of the time shown on the time-slider. It then flips back to the
beginning of the time slider and seems to restart the rip. If I allow that
to continue this 'rip' seems to be faster than the first part, but gets to
and end, and may do this again... until it pops up with an error about not
being able to read a sector.
However if, at any point after that 'first rip' I stop the process. Or if I
allow the tip to continue until it errors, I get a file I can play and has
the full content of the Title.
Same behaviour for every title on every disc in the set. Behaviour I've
never seen from any other DVD.
So I think that the problem is in the way these discs were mastered.
The symptoms are quite different from other discs which I've encountered
that have problems with reading. And the problem with Handbrake may be that
it insists on checking and listing *all* the titles on a disc before
getting to allowing me to choose what to rip. Thus I guess it encounters
this 'odd' structure and barfs.
I have now managed to rip every title OK for all the discs in the set. So,
"job done"! But because I can't find out the command for doing this with
VLC had to do one track at a time via its GUI which was tedious. Hence my
asking the specific question about what cvlc command would allow me to
automate this.
Alas, no-one seems to know.
wrote:
> On 2021-01-20, Jim Lesurf <no...@audiomisc.co.uk> wrote:
> > I'm trying to convert the content of some ancient video DVDs into
> > being mkv files. Usually I employ Handbrake for this and it works
> > nicely, but I've found some discs that behave oddly, and this leads me
> > to a puzzle...
> >
> > If I try to copy the disks to .iso files this fails with an i/o error.
> Here is the hint. You are out of data. The DVD is dying/dead. As in all
> the track is not readable. If you have titles then it is possible just
> to read the track and copy/process that track.
> Sometimes just coping the file off the DVD has worked for me. Another
> reader might get you across the line.
> Are these DVDs burnt or pressed? Burnt ones die at random intervals.
The aren't 'burnt' discs. They are a box set, all of which show the same
> > I'm trying to convert the content of some ancient video DVDs into
> > being mkv files. Usually I employ Handbrake for this and it works
> > nicely, but I've found some discs that behave oddly, and this leads me
> > to a puzzle...
> >
> > If I try to copy the disks to .iso files this fails with an i/o error.
> Here is the hint. You are out of data. The DVD is dying/dead. As in all
> the track is not readable. If you have titles then it is possible just
> to read the track and copy/process that track.
> Sometimes just coping the file off the DVD has worked for me. Another
> reader might get you across the line.
> Are these DVDs burnt or pressed? Burnt ones die at random intervals.
behaviour.
Experiment shows the following behaviour:
1) If you look with VLC at the list of 'Titles' (tracks) on the disc you
see many multiple duplicates of them with different numbers and slightly
different lengths. Some of these play. Other show a blank.
2) If I choose the Titles/tracks that actually show the videos I can play
them with VLC and rip them OK. With one quirk. The rip proceeds, and gets
to the end of the time shown on the time-slider. It then flips back to the
beginning of the time slider and seems to restart the rip. If I allow that
to continue this 'rip' seems to be faster than the first part, but gets to
and end, and may do this again... until it pops up with an error about not
being able to read a sector.
However if, at any point after that 'first rip' I stop the process. Or if I
allow the tip to continue until it errors, I get a file I can play and has
the full content of the Title.
Same behaviour for every title on every disc in the set. Behaviour I've
never seen from any other DVD.
So I think that the problem is in the way these discs were mastered.
The symptoms are quite different from other discs which I've encountered
that have problems with reading. And the problem with Handbrake may be that
it insists on checking and listing *all* the titles on a disc before
getting to allowing me to choose what to rip. Thus I guess it encounters
this 'odd' structure and barfs.
I have now managed to rip every title OK for all the discs in the set. So,
"job done"! But because I can't find out the command for doing this with
VLC had to do one track at a time via its GUI which was tedious. Hence my
asking the specific question about what cvlc command would allow me to
automate this.
Alas, no-one seems to know.
Jim Lesurf
Jan 29, 2021, 9:34:56 AM1/29/21
to
In article <rv108p$f4f$1...@dont-email.me>, Martin Gregorie
over 99% of them have been fine even when around 20 years old. As are the
ones I transfer now.
More recently I've also been trawling backup optical discs I made 20+ years
ago, and almost all of those are still fine.
The basic rule I've encountered is that if you used discs from someone like
TDK they are fairly durable if kept away from light, etc, whilst being
stored. But I don't doubt they probably will deteriorate at some time.
<mar...@mydomain.invalid> wrote:
> > Are these DVDs burnt or pressed? Burnt ones die at random intervals.
> >
> All of these are recorded by using a laser to change a dye colour, so
> you should copy any that you value to more permanent storage ASAP.
> I transferred the ones I have to hard drives years ago. These drives are
> regularly backed up and the backups are kept in a fire safe.
> Vlc plays both the audio and video copies just fine.
FWIW I transferred most of my 'burnt' DVDs and CDs a few years ago. Well
> > Are these DVDs burnt or pressed? Burnt ones die at random intervals.
> >
> All of these are recorded by using a laser to change a dye colour, so
> you should copy any that you value to more permanent storage ASAP.
> I transferred the ones I have to hard drives years ago. These drives are
> regularly backed up and the backups are kept in a fire safe.
> Vlc plays both the audio and video copies just fine.
over 99% of them have been fine even when around 20 years old. As are the
ones I transfer now.
More recently I've also been trawling backup optical discs I made 20+ years
ago, and almost all of those are still fine.
The basic rule I've encountered is that if you used discs from someone like
TDK they are fairly durable if kept away from light, etc, whilst being
stored. But I don't doubt they probably will deteriorate at some time.
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